Saving a Dying Land
by Nightspeller
Summary: Kasey moves into Castanet, taking over a ranch left to him by an Uncle he never knew, who now is deceased. But Kasey gets more than he bargained for, and soon shall experience adventure, drama, romance and form new friendships. He learns more of his deceased Uncle, Richard, and learn of his own lost past, which becomes a key in his quest. Rated T for swearing and future violence.
1. Chapter 1: Starting a New Life

_This shall be loosely based off the game itself, but with my own twists and mini plots. Hope you all enjoy it!_

Chapter 1: Starting a New Life

A cart was being pulled along the dirt road within Castanet, a country side where most people did farming and ranching. It also had a small town known as Harmonica Town. While it was not as big as most towns, it still found a way to strive. The land, however, had begun to suffer… Everyone in Castanet was well aware of it as well. Back at the cart… A young boy was riding in the back of it. He was very content… Finally, he was going to get his own ranch. He couldn't be happier! He closed his eyes, completely content. Though, he was also confused. He inherited the ranch from his Uncle, who he never knew… So, how did his Uncle even know about him? Shrugging it off, the boy continued to relax. No need to worry about family memories…

A small flash of light caused him to open an eye. Floating in front of him was a small sprite-like creature, with green hair, and beady eyes. He wore orange with yellow, and he also had wings, enabling him to fly. "Hey, don't forget that we have to go see the Harvest Goddess. I have a feeling she needs our help! And you're the only one who can see me!" He said. The boy merely nodded. Yes, he met this Harvest Sprite, known as Finn, before getting a ride on the cart.

He was surprised to see the little guy buzzing about, trying to get people's attention back in Mineral Town. When he said he could see Finn, the Harvest Sprite told him that the Harvest Goddess, whom he had heard from bed time stories, needed help. And to top that off, it happened the exact same day he left the orphanage since he was old enough to do so. "Oh, hey…" The boy snapped out of his daydream when the man driving the cart spoke, "Er… What was your name again?" The man asked.

"Oh… Its Kasey." The boy, Kasey, replied calmly. "Ah, that's right… Kasey." The man gave a nod as if reminding himself to remember the name. "I'm Cain, the owner of the Horn Ranch. Nice to meet you!" The man said cheerily. "Likewise," Kasey said with a grin, though, Cain couldn't see it. "Its only a little longer to your house. " Cain said. "No rush." Kasey said as he closed his eyes to relax once more. "Until then, how about I ask you a few questions?" Cain asked. Kasey opened his eyes slowly. "Uh, if you have to." Cain rubbed the back of his head with one hand while holding the reins with his spare hand.

"It's just unusually for young people to want to start up a ranch these days…" Cain said. "Well.. it did belong to my Uncle, who I didn't even know… I can't really decline getting an house easily, right?" Kasey asked. Cain nodded. "Suppose you're right. Anyhow, the questions… What's your favorite food?" Kasey opened his eyes once more. "I really like fish. Any kind, really." He responded. "I see… When's your birthday?" Cain asked. "It's in the Summer, on the 25th." Kasey responded once more.

"Gotcha… Anyhow, as I was saying before, there aren't a lot of ranchers now… I hope you'll be able to reinvigorate the town. However, this place has seen better days… We haven't had any good crops in a while… No one seems to know why…" Kasey closed his eyes as he listened. Guess this was something the Harvest Goddess wanted to talk about. But… why him, of all people? There had to be someone else better than himself… Finn's voice snapped the young adult out of his thoughts for a moment, "Hey Kasey! I know you're excited about finally getting your own ranch! But remember, we need to see the Harvest Goddess as soon as we get there, though!"

Kasey waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah…" He continued to relax, not paying any attention to what the Harvest Sprite just said. "Hey, are you even listening to me?" Finn asked angrily, attempting to get Kasey's attention with no avail. Eventually, the cart came to a halt. Kasey opened his eyes slowly, looking around as he sat up. He could see it… His new home.

Getting himself off the cart, he brushed some hay off his sleeves before stretching out. He thanked Cain for the lift as the older rancher rode off toward his own ranch. Kasey excitedly ran toward his house in delight. As he got closer, his delight melted away came to a halt as he looked at his new house. Boy… it wasn't in the best condition… It had some holes here and there, especially the roof was in bad shape.

"…How am I supposed to live in _that_?" You had to be desperate to live in such a house! Then again… he did learn about getting this place at the age of 8, but not until he was 18… 10 years really did a number on the house. And no one took care of it? Sheesh… "Uhhh… This ranch is pretty beat up…" Finn said, obviously not impressed. "No kidding…" Kasey frowned. Some welcoming look for him…

"Hello? Helloooo!" A cheerful voice called. Kasey turned, to see a fat short man with soft grey hair and green eyes coming over. "Hello! You must Kasey! Welcome to Harmonica Town! I'm Mayor Hamilton!" The man introduced himself. Kasey bowed. "Nice to meet you Sir." _Could he at least of kept this house in better shape? _Hamilton turned to look at the house. "I know it's kind of rusty, but with some care, I know it'll be fabulous in no time!" He said happily.

"I guess so…" Kasey said. He still wasn't satisfied with the look, but a house was a house after all… Hamilton turned to look behind the two. "And this is your plot, where you can grow crops and flowers!" He said. Kasey looked over. Huh, looked like someone had planted some crops. Turnips, potatoes, and even some tulips. Had someone been using it? Shaking his head, Kasey at least knew he could sell those for some extra money. He only had 1,000 gold on him at the moment…

"Wow, this is great Kasey!" Kasey looked over at Finn. "You get a house and land for free? What a town!" Finn said happily. Kasey had to admit, that was a pretty nice deal. Hamilton clasped his hands together as if remembering something. "Oh, I nearly forgot! You can make the 5,000 gold payment for your new land at Town Hall! There's no due date, you can pay whenever you can!" Kasey frowned.

"Well, I guess it was too good to be true…" Finn said with a frown. Kasey merely nodded. "Ah, yes, I got this for you! It's a map of the surrounding land! I'm sure it'll be helpful to you so you won't get lost!" Hamilton took out the map, handing it to Kasey. "And, also, I got you this. It's a starting farmer's kit!" Hamilton handed Kasey a hoe, which looked a bit rusty, but was still useable. An old-looking Watering Can. And some turnip seeds. Oh goodie, as if he wanted more turnips. Truthfully, Kasey didn't like those. "Also, you'll find Flute Fields toward the East…" Hamilton explained, pointing toward the East. "And, toward the West… You'll find Harmonica Town itself. And if you head up, toward the northwest, you'll find the Garmon Mines,"

"I've also left you some useful books in the book shelf inside the house! I'm sure they'll come in handy! And well, I must head back to Town Hall. If you ever need to talk to me, just come to the Town Hall when its opened. Good luck Kasey!" Waving, Hamilton left. Kasey waved, watching him go. He was a good guy… "Well, whatcha gonna name the ranch, Kasey?" Finn asked, looking at the young adult curiously. "A name…?" Kasey closed his eyes, thinking it over. He wanted a good name, but what kind… Eventually, he thought of a name. "How about Destiny Ranch?" Kasey asked. "Destiny Ranch? That's a nice name!" Finn said cheerfully. Kasey grinned. "Anyhow, the Harvest Goddess is up in the Garmon Mines area. Let's go and see her!" The Harvest Sprite said. With a nod, Kasey went off, toward the Garmon Mine…

_I hope this series shall be pleasant for you all to read. I shall try to make the parts longer as I go along. Hope you all like this so far!_


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting People

Chapter 2: Meeting People

Kasey looked around as he walked toward the Garmon Mines. He still couldn't believe he was now in Castanet and now having a house to himself, left to him by his deceased Uncle, whom he never knew. Truthfully, Kasey never knew his family besides his parents, whom were sadly killed in a car accident. He was only 5 years old when that happened, all he had to remember his parents by was an old photo of the two. He didn't even remember his parent's behaviors very well either. He frowned as he kept walking. What would his life be if he hadn't become an orphan?

Maybe then he would have probably met the rest of his family. But, he also wondered… Why didn't any of them take him in after his parent's death? He wasn't sure… It was possible they didn't know of his existence, or couldn't keep him… But, the first one couldn't be right. His Uncle knew of his existence, how else did he leave his ranch to him in his will? A sudden bump caused the young adult to snap back into reality.

He found himself on the ground, and his forehead stung. "Ow, ow, ow… Shit, that stings…" He mumbled as he sat up. "Oh, jeez Kasey, you okay?!" Finn floated up with a worried look. "Y-yeah… I think I sorta just wasn't paying attention." He stood up, rubbing his forehead. Boy, did that sting… He realized he bumped into the mountain itself. Smart move Kasey… Smart way to show what an idiot you are… He thought to himself. Luckily no one else besides Finn saw it… Shaking his head to snap out of the dizziness, Kasey reassured Finn he was okay and moved on. Eventually, they reached a bridge, but some of the planks were gone, and it looked in bad shape. "T-The bridge! What happened!?" Finn asked in shock.  
With how the bridge was, there was no way he and Kasey could go see the Harvest Goddess! Kasey frowned at this. There was no way he would even dare attempt to cross it in this condition. That was more of a death wish than anything. A nearby sigh caused Kasey to jump a bit, looking toward the source. It was a boy, maybe a little younger than him.

"*Sigh.* The bridge is really broken…" He mumbled. Kasey came over slowly. The boy seemed to notice Kasey and turned to face him. "Oh, hello… I believe we never met before. I'm Bo; I'm training at the Carpenter's." The boy said. "I'm Kasey; I'm here to take over the ranch here that my Uncle used to own." Kasey said. "Ah, so, you're the new rancher the mayor was talking about! It's a pleasure to meet you." Bo said with a bow. Kasey did one in return before looking at the bridge. "You got any idea what happened to that bridge?"

Bo sighed softly. "A storm came and hit us pretty hard. It's weird… We've never had any storms that harshly before. Luckily, no one was injured… But the poor bridge suffered the most… I luckily came on this side before the storm came. I need to fix it… but, I can't without my toolbox. I even asked Hamilton to come and bring it to me, but…" Bo frowned, and then looked at Kasey. "I'm really sorry to ask this, but can you please go and get my toolbox for me? I need to stay here to make sure no one else crosses this bridge." Kasey nodded. "Sure, I can do that." Bo looked relieved. "Thank you so much! Here, in return for your kindness, you can have this! Its old, but it still works!" Bo handed Kasey an axe. "It'll come in handy for collecting lumber; you'll need it to upgrade your buildings!"  
Kasey looked at the axe in awe. "Wow, thanks Bo!" With that, the young adult left, going off. "Kasey, we don't have time for this!" Finn moaned. "Well, unless I suddenly sprout wings or suddenly can leap like a horse, I can't get across… Besides, the faster we do this; the faster we can go see the Harvest Goddess." Kasey said. Fin frowned. "Well, you got a point there…" The Harvest Sprite sighed as he landed on Kasey's shoulder as the young adult kept going. Kasey got the map out, looking at it. "According to Hamilton, Harmonica Town is toward the West…" He trailed the path to go with his finger, and then nodded. "Okay, let's go!" Kasey was off, going toward the West.

After a bit of a walk, they came to a grey-ish bridge, made of bricks. "This must be the town. Come on, let's talk to the mayor!" Finn said. With a nod, Kasey went off toward the town. Too bad the map couldn't tell him which one was Town Hall… "Hm…" Kasey looked around, eventually spotting a building. He went over, looking at the sign. It clearly read "Town Hall". "Huh. That's it." Kasey opened the door slowly. Hamilton looked up when Kasey entered.  
"Ah, good to see you Kasey!" He said cheerfully. Kasey gave a wave. "Hello, I came here wondering if you could-" "Great timing, actually!" Hamilton stood up from his desk, coming over. "Since you're new, you should go around and introduce yourself to everyone! It's only fair, everyone in the town and out in Flute Fields has been excepting you!" Hamilton said.

"Um, sure. But, first, I need to ask-" "Now, now! No need to be shy! Go, and come back when you've met everyone!" Hamilton said with a grin. Looks like he won't listen. Fuck. Oh well, I better do as he says, maybe he'll listen then. Kasey gave a nod and went off slowly. "Well, I better make this fast so Bo can fix that bridge." Kasey said to Finn, who nodded. "Right, let's go!" Kasey went off, looking at all the buildings. Which one should he go to first? He looked at the building next to him. It looked like a shop. Kasey went over, looking at the sign. It was a camera shop. Shrugging, Kasey entered. He looked around. Portraits were all over the place. Kasey eventually spotted a man with blue-grey hair.

"Oh, hello!" The man said once he noticed Kasey. "I take you're the new rancher the mayor told me about?" Kasey nodded. "Yes Sir, I'm Kasey." He said as he came over. The man smiled. " It's always nice to see a nice, young friendly face.!I'm Simon. I've ran this photo shop for 15 years, you should take some time to look around you, anything can be a fantastic photo! Here, as a welcoming gift, you have my old camera. It still works too!" The man, Simon, handed Kasey a camera. "Feel free to come back here any time Kasey!" Simon said with a grin. Kasey nodded. "Thank you." Putting the camera away, Kasey was off. "Okay… Guess I'll go… That way!" Kasey went toward a shop that had clothing on display through the window.

Kasey entered, looking around. Wow, so much clothing! He wondered if his sister Molly would like this place… But, then again… he hadn't seen her since that dreadful day in the orphanage… She was adopted while he had been told he would get a ranch when he was 18… And he was 8 at the time. When he saw his sister being taken, he ran after her and the new parent until the car was out of sight… He frowned from the memory. _Molly…_ "What should we do? We barely got anything decent to sell.." The voice snapped Kasey out of it, looking toward the source.

Who he saw were an elderly woman and a young girl about his age, maybe a bit younger, both looking depressed. The girl rubbed her arm. "I-I don't know…" Curious, Kasey walked over to the two took notice of his presence quickly, looking at him in alarm. "Oh, my. I thought our sign said "closed"." The elderly woman said with a frown. "I'm sorry. We're not opened yet." The girl said. Kasey rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I'm the new rancher, and the mayor wants me to meet everyone." "Oh, I see. Meeting everyone, eh? I'm Shelly. This is my granddaughter, Candace." The elderly woman said, mentioning toward the young girl next to her.

Looking shy, the girl, Candace, did a bow. "I-It's nice to meet you…" She said shyly. Kasey smiled. "We started this tailoring shop, but we're almost completely out of material to make clothing… If only Luna was here…" Shelly mumbled sadly, shaking her head. Kasey blinked. Who was Luna? "B-But… Luna… she has her studies…" Candace said softly. "I know, I know… but if this is all we got to offer, we won't be satisfying a lot of customers…" Shelly said with a heavy sigh. "I-I'm sure wool and yarn will be sold s-soon…" Candace said, trying to sound confident.  
Shelly gave a nod. "I sure hope so…" Realizing Kasey was right there and now looked a bit concerned, the elderly woman frowned. "Oh! Look at us, venting out like this… We're sorry." Kasey shook his head. "It's fine." Shelly nodded, looking at him. "We don't have a lot of clothing, but come and look when you get the chance. It never hurts to get new clothing once in a while." Shelly said. Kasey gave the two a grin. "You can count on me visiting!" Looking satisfied, the two bid farewell as Kasey left the shop.

Looking around, he noticed what looked like a bar was next to this shop. "Huh. A bar? I'll have to try that place some time." He was well aware what those drinks did, but as long as you were aware of your limits and such… He wasn't really sure if he was a light drinker or not. Oh well. Shrugging it off, he went toward it. But, knowing the bars back in his town, they were usually closed during the day. Didn't mean he still couldn't visit if someone was inside. As he drew near, he noticed a blond-haired woman walking out, stretching as she did. "Ah, a nice day for once…" She then noticed Kasey. She gave a grin, looking at him as he came over. "Well, hello! Are you that new rancher I've heard about?" Kasey gave a nod. "That's me. I'm Kasey."

The woman grinned wider. "It's nice to meet ya Kasey. I know our bar is closed, but would you like some tea at least?" The woman asked. Wow, they sold tea as well? Kasey nodded. "I'd love to!" With that, the two entered. The inside looked pretty decent. Nice stone walls and it looked different than any other bar Kasey was aware of. A man with a thick bread looked up when the two entered. "Is this a visitor?" He asked, looking at the woman, who gave a nod. "Yes Father, this is the new rancher, ya know, taking over Richard's ranch?"

"Oh, yes! So, you're Richard's nephew then? He was a good man." The man said. Kasey merely nodded. "I wish I could agree, but I never even knew I had an Uncle." "Oh… really? I'm sorry." The woman said. Kasey shrugged. "Don't worry much about it." "Anyhow…" The woman looked back at the man. "I offered him some tea for coming this far. Is that okay?" "Sure, sure. Fine with me." The man went back to cleaning out cups. "We don't have much, since the ships can't sail over to us and we can't really restock." The woman said with a frown. "It's like our town is slowly dying…"

Kasey also frowned. Wow, this place was in very bad shape… "I've heard that the Goddess Tree is dying…" The woman said. Kasey blinked. _Goddess Tree…? Oh yeah, from the stories! It was the source of the Harvest Goddess' power if I remember correctly_… "And even the water and wind seem… well, lifeless…" The man said with a sigh and shaking his head. "What can we do..?" The woman mumbled sadly. "I don't know…" Kasey said. Realizing what she's done, the woman shook her head. "Well, we always find a way to manage somehow. And how rude, I forgot to introduce myself and my father!" The woman bowed. "I'm Kathy, and that's my father, Hayden." She said as she pointed at herself then her father when she said their names.

Kasey smiled. That was better. "As you probably guess, I own the bar. Feel free to come by if you need a drink." Hayden said with a smile. Kathy nodded in agreement. "You're always welcome, drop by when you can!" Kasey nodded. "I'll keep it in mind!" And after finishing the tea he was offered, Kasey moved on. "Man, this town does know how to make a fella feel welcomed… It's nearly better than Mineral Town already." Kasey looked around, wondering where to go next. Shrugging, he went off toward the docks, in search for more people to meet…


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting More People

Chapter 3: Meeting More People

The salty air felt kind of good. Kasey felt a bit relaxed. He always loved the ocean. He looked around as he approached the docks. He noticed a single shop and a lighthouse. "Sheesh… this place really does feel kind of lifeless…" Kasey frowned. "I thought Madam Samantha said this place was full of life…" Finn looked at him. "Who's Madam Samantha?" "Oh, she was the one who took care of me when my parents were killed. In a sense, you could call her my foster mother." Kasey said. Finn nodded, seeming to get it. Kasey decided to go to the shop first, which was called "Fishery". A fishing shop? Interesting. Kasey thought as he entered the shop.

The fresh smell of fish hit Kasey like a wave. However, he didn't mind. He loved fish after all. He looked around, until he noticed a man tending to some of the fish that was on display. The man picked up a single fish, looking at it before sighing. "…Even the fish seem lifeless these days. What's going on lately..?" The man mumbled, before noticing Kasey. "Oh, a customer?" The man straightened up, walking over. "Welcome to the Fishery! A tourist I assume?" The man asked. Kasey held a hand up. "Um, no, I'm taking over my Uncle's ranch." "Ah! You're Richard's nephew? Welcome!" The man said cheerfully. "Richard was a fantastic man. He and I would go fishing all the time back when he was around…" The man frowned.

"He sounds great… Too bad I never knew him." Kasey said with a frown. "Is that so..? What a shame. You would have liked him. He always knew how to make you smile." The man said. He then shook his head. "Well, enough of the past. I'm Ozzie, the fisherman." He said. Kasey bowed. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kasey." "Kasey, nice name. Do you like fishing?" Ozzie asked. Kasey nodded. "Actually, yeah, I do." Ozzie seemed pleased. "Glad to hear it!" He then looked a bit depressed. "Too bad the ocean is wild… The fish even seem lifeless as well… If this doesn't stop soon, I'll be out of business!" Ozzie said with a sigh. "I'm sure my son and nephew are just as depressed as me though… They both love this place…" Kasey frowned. Man, this whole town was a mess…

Ozzie shook his. "Oh, well, I got to be cheerful! I'm sure this shall be back to normal soon!" He said. Kasey gave a nod. "I agree, I'm sure it will." Ozzie nodded. "Feel free to visit again when you can!" Kasey gave a nod and left the shop slowly. "Well, that wasn't so bad." Kasey said. "This is a nice place Kasey, I think you'll like it." Finn said. Nodding, Kasey looked around, until he spotted two people at the docks. He titled his head and went toward there. A man with grey hair and a woman with orange hair were seen. Both looked at the ocean, which the waves were thrashing wildly. Luckily, it wasn't a threat to the docks, but you'd get a good thrashing if you fell in.

The man sighed softly. "The sea is too harsh… Ships can't even dock here anymore… This is just getting harder on the Inn…" The woman nodded. "I know, honey… but what else can we do..?" She asked softly. Kasey eventually came into view and the two took notice of his presence. "Oh, hello there. " The man said. "Are you the new rancher everyone is talking about?" The woman asked. Word spread fast, didn't it? Kasey nodded. "That's me, I'm Kasey." "So, you're Richard's nephew. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Jake, owner of the Ocarina Inn. It's the one with the red door." The man pointed, it was sort of easy to see the building he was speaking of. "I'm Colleen, I'm Jake's wife." The woman said with a smile.

Kasey bowed. "Nice to meet you two." "While our town is in a bit of a pickle, it's still nice to see a new young face around here… Hopefully you can perk everyone up." Jake said, with his wife nodding in agreement. Kasey rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know if he could do that… But yes, everyone so far was having a hard time. "I… I suppose I could try…" Kasey said after a while of thought. The two looked a bit satisfied. "We wish you the best of luck, Kasey. I know your Uncle will be proud." Colleen said with a smile. "Yes, Richard was a fantastic rancher. I'm sure you'll be as well." Jake said. With a bow, Kasey was off. Richard sure was a big deal around here so far… Maybe he was famous besides being good friends with everyone so far?

Kasey decided to go the Inn next, since he was walking up toward it. He opened the door and slowly entered, looking around. His nose wrinkled a little as he smelled something. Smelt like someone was cooking. He looked toward the kitchen, and spotted two others. An elderly woman with faded pink hair and a younger girl about his age with orange hair, similar to Colleen's, only lighter. The elderly woman shook her head after tasting the food. "This won't do at all… Start over!" The girl pouted. "You're being way too harsh on me, Granny…" Kasey came over. "Hello." The two looked at him. "Oh, my! I didn't know we had someone in here… Sorry you had to see that." The elderly woman said. Kasey shook his head. "It's fine."

"You must be Richard's nephew, taking over his ranch?" The elderly woman asked. Kasey nodded. "Yup." "So, you're Richard's nephew!" The girl grinned. "He was the only one who liked trying my cooking." Kasey tilted his head. "No one else did that?" "Well, Maya here is still learning. But yes, Richard was always a gentleman and tried her cooking." The elderly woman said. "My Uncle sounds like he was a nice man. I wish I knew him." Kasey said. "Yes… you would have loved him. He always knew the best of everyone. He always aimed to please." The elderly woman sighed softly. Kasey frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry! Listening to an old woman like me rumbling… I'm Yolanda. And I've mentioned Maya, my grandchild." The elderly woman said.

Kasey bowed. "Nice to meet you two." "So, what's your name?" Maya asked. "Oh, right! I'm Kasey." Kasey said, smiling sheepishly. "Kasey, huh? Nice to meet you!" Maya said cheerfully, seeming to forget her previous argument with Yolanda. "Though lately... our fires been weak. It makes it so hard to cook anything decent." Yolanda sighed softly. "Yeah, and we can't even get any good raw ingredients..." Maya briefly looked sadden, but shook her head. "But I know things will be back to normal soon enough! Just wait, you'll see our town the way it should be!" Kasey couldn't help but frown once more. This whole place was just a mess. He couldn't help but feel a bit sad. "Oh, here, I'll give you a welcoming present!" Maya's words snapped Kasey out of his thoughts as she handed him a cookie. "You should eat it if you feel tired. You'll regain strength back in no time!" She said gleefully, as if excepting Kasey to try it. "I sure will, thank you." Kasey placed the treat away and bowed the two, taking his leave.

The more he learned of everyone and their struggles, the more he felt like he should do something, _anything, _to help. But what... He didn't even know himself yet... Maybe this was what the so-called Harvest Goddess wanted to speak to him about? He went to the next building, it looked like a clinic. He opened the door and entered, looking around until he saw an elderly woman, looking troubled. Kasey approached her. The woman looked up, looking at him, still seeming a bit distressed. "I haven't seen you around her before? Are you not feeling well? Need to see the doctor?" She asked, sounding a bit concerned. Kasey shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm not sick. I'm Kasey, I'm taking over my Uncle Richard's ranch?" The woman listened and nodded. "Oh, so you're the new rancher. I'm Irene, nice to meet you." Kasey nodded. "Sorry if I sound a bit nosy... But you seemed kind of worried before?"

Irene arched a brow. "I looked worried before? Well, aren't you an observant one? There's a lot on my mind right now!" She snapped, causing Kasey to flinch a bit. She frowned, and sighed. "I'm sorry... I'd hate to bother you with our problems... But do you know of the Goddess Tree..?" Irene asked. "A little... I've heard about it somewhat in story books." Kasey said. Irene nodded. "Its a divine tree that grows at the Goddess Spring where the Harvest Goddess herself lives. That tree, its the very thing that protects our land. But, it looks as if its suffering, you know, like its dying... And its also believed that tree is also a part of the Harvest Goddess herself... She must be suffering as well..." Irene trailed off, obviously worried.

"Its true, the Harvest Goddess... She's been really worried..." Finn said sadly. Kasey felt a ping of worry. Would... she die if the tree fully died itself? If it was apart of her... Irene clasped her hands together, getting Kasey back to reality. "Oh, I forgot to say... My grandson, Dr. Jin, is away. He's studying medicine else where. So... try your best to stay healthy so you don't get sick... And try not to get too badly hurt. I can only do so much without him around." Kasey nodded. "I can't really promise, but I can try." Irene seemed satified either way. "Well, take care. I surely hope you'll be a fantastic rancher, like Richard... He was such a gentleman." Irene trailed off again, now seeming lost in thought. "I'll try." Kasey bowed and left. The more he learned about his Uncle Richard, the more he wished he had met him. He did sound like a very good man, he knew and was loved by everyone. He looked around and looking toward where the church was, he walked, his mind on so many things. The Goddess Tree, the land dying since it seemed to be dying itself, and of course, the Harvest Goddess herself. So many questions were filling Kasey's head, but so far, no answers...

_For those who read this story, I like to thank you so much for continuing to support and give me feedback. I really appreciate it and its what makes me want to keep going on this story. I apologize I've neglected this story for so long. I went through a lot in the last two years, but now things are settling down, I intend to update this story more. So keep an eye out for any new chapters in the future~_


	4. Chapter 4: More Errands

_Sorry for the long, long delay. Again, more life issues. But I'm back, again. XD_

Chapter 4: More Errands

Kasey soon found himself in the church area. It looked pretty here. He looked around, in a bit of awe. Despite this land supposedly dying, this place actually looked nice. He could also see the mine district in the distance, among the mountains. Was everyone there okay? He looked back at the church. He never was one of religion but he didn't mind it all the same. He looked around, before noticing someone else was nearby. Another male with bright orange hair. Kasey decided to approach him.

"Hi there!"

The man turned around, he didn't look too happy.

"Um, I don't think we've met. You must be that new rancher everyone is talking about. Richard's nephew too, if I'm right."

Kasey nodded. "Yeah, that's me. I'm Kasey."

The man slowly nodded. "Running a ranch on your own... Its rough. I hope you can manage it like your Uncle did... Good luck."

Kasey smiled a bit. "Thanks."

"I'm the bar's cook, but we can't get ingredients... or customers, for that fact. Without a good cooking fire, I can't make anything good anyways. What a joke..."

Kasey frowned. Everyone here had so many problems... All because of the Goddess Tree dying... He hoped he could get that toolbox soon, Bo needed to fix that bridge as soon as possible...

"Anyhow, guess I should introduce myself..."

Kasey looked back at the man, nodding.

"I'm Chase, I'm the Brass Bar's cook, as I already mentioned. The bar's always open, but we're just not serving food right now. But once we manage to start serving food again, you should come by."

Kasey nodded. "I will, good luck."

With that, Kasey went toward the chruch. May as well go and check it out. He approached and entered the holy building. He spotted a woman nearby, appearing to be praying. Poor thing looked as if she had seen better days. Before he could approach, another man already began to approach, causing the woman to look up.

"Here for comfort again today?" The man asked.

"Y-Yes... Its already been a year... since I lost him... Some times it seems like long ago... Some times its like it was only yesterday... And of course... Richard's death..." The woman said softly. The man slowly nodded, taking notice of Kasey.

"Nice to meet you. You must be Richard's nephew, the one taking over his ranch?" The man asked.

"That's me." Kasey nodded.

"I'm Perry, a simple priest in training." The man introduced himself.

Kasey looked at the woman. But he didn't except a happy introduction, not from how she looked.

"...I should go. Take care."

And she left before Kasey could even react. Poor thing... Perry sighed softly.

"That was Mira. She lost her husband about a year ago. She was absolutely heartbroken... But she's slowly been getting better, though. She doesn't know what to do with herself, however. I wish I could help her, but I have so much to learn... If you see her, try to speak with her, okay..? Who knows, you might have better luck."

Kasey shrugged. "Sure."

But why him? Everyone here hardly knew him. But who knows... Maybe he could try talking to Mira some time. But for now, he had to focus on seeing to meeting everyone else. Bowing to Perry politely, Kasey left the church. What a mess this poor town was in... He soon found himself walking through Harmonica Town once more. Where to go now...

"That was everyone in town, Kasey. We can go back to the Mayor!" Finn said.

"Already? Wow, that was fast.." Kasey shrugged and began to walk toward Town Hall. The sun was high, it must of been around noon now. Not bad, really, only took him around two hours to meet everyone. Well, he did what the mayor want so now he should finally get the toolbox for Bo. Hopefully, anyhow. He entered the building, where Hamilton greeted him.

"Welcome back Kasey! You've met everyone in town, great job! I hope you become friends with everyone, just like your Uncle was!"

Kasey nodded. He hoped so too... His Uncle sounded like he was very respectable around here.

"Oh, yes, I have a favor to ask of you, Kasey."

Kasey looked back at the mayor. "Yes?"

"If you run into Bo, could you give him this? The bridge to the Garmon Mines needs to be repaired. Bo will need this to do it."

Hamilton held out a green toolbox. About bloody time. Kasey nodded, accepting the toolbox. Why couldn't he just given the toolbox sooner? Oh well. Now he could give it to Bo so he could fix the bridge. The sooner the better.

"Let's go and give this to Bo! He can fix the bridge and we can finally meet the Harvest Goddess!" Finn flew around happily.

Kasey nodded and began to walk out. He was lost in thought again. His uncle... he sounded so famous around here. How could he live up to that? He hardly even knew his uncle, and let alone, knew his uncle was even aware of his existence. Why didn't he come and take himself and his sister in..? Well, he must of had his reasons... For now, it was time to focus on the mission. The sooner he could meet the Harvest Goddess, the better.

They arrived back at the bridge, Kasey handing the toolbox to Bo. "Here you go Bo, the mayor sends his regards."

"Wow, thanks Kasey! I've been asking for this for a while now." Bo smiled as he took the toolbox, opening it up and checking to ensure all his tools were in there.

"Perfect! Now I can work on the bridge! Thanks again!"

Kasey smiled until an odd growling noise was soon heard.

"W-What the?!" Finn hid behind Kasey, as the noise came again. Kasey jumped a bit but noticed Bo was blushing a bit.

"Ahehehe... Sorry, that was my stomach." Bo rubbed the back of his head. _What kind of stomach growls like an angry lion?! Geez!_ Kasey thought.

"Sorry to bug you again, Kasey... But I need something to eat. But I also need to stay here to ensure no one tries to cross this bridge. I'd want a strawberry and some milk. There's two places in the Flute Fields that'll sell these two items. Could you get those for me? Please? I'll be able to work on the bridge once my stomach stops roaring.." He rubbed the back of his head.

Good grief... Kasey couldn't say no though. These people were having such a rough time as it was... Plus, it sounded like he could meet the rest of the people who lived here. He often felt like he was too nice... "Sure Bo, I'll be back."

Bo smiled. "Thanks Kasey, really, you're the best!"

With that, Kasey walked off. Finn flew next to him. "You'd think he'd get a bite to eat while were were gone, huh?"

"No shit. But its okay... I haven't met the people who live in Flute Fields anyhow." Kasey took out his map, looking at it. "Right... Its just east from the ranch."

"Then let's go~" Finn said.

Nodding, Kasey began to walk off toward Flute Fields, unaware he was going to meet someone he'll not forget so soon...


End file.
